The Return
by whomii2
Summary: Post 1.23 Firewall. They get Finch back. (written before season 2)


Although there were times Reese had despaired if this day would ever come, it was finally here. They had Finch back.

Root had been hampered by the loss of her partner and was forced to work alone. She was also working under the false assumption that her kidnapping of Finch meant that Reese was in a similar situation. So while Reese tore about the city stirring up trouble and holding her attention, Carter and Fusco were able to quietly sneak up on her unexpectedly.

Root might be an evil manipulative genius, but she wasn't impervious to a swift punch to the face. Carter could be quite scary when her protective instincts were roused. But Root was lucky Carter hadn't seen Finch before their confrontation. Root was even more lucky John hadn't gotten to her first, or she would have received worse than a broken nose and a concussion.

Having secured their nemesis, the team now set to work releasing Finch and seeing to his wellbeing. No comment was made about his more visible injuries and the painful slowness of his movements. Reese quietly thought that Finch was going to be a handful trying to use his PC with his fingers splinted. Finally they had their friend and their enemy ready to go.

Carter gave Finch a gentle hug, mindful of his ribs, and went off to collect Taylor from the library. With Finch unavailable they had needed someone to run simple searches, coordinate communications, and forward the intel provided by John's new confidential informant. Carter murmured to John that she and Taylor would straighten up before heading home. While John would never touch Finch's equipment or his beloved books, some of the rest of the library furnishings hadn't stood up so well to John's frustration over the missing Finch. And a considerable mess had been created by all of them working diligently day and night with little regard to the niceties. But now they would want Finch to feel comfortable when he returned to his familiar surroundings, and they all knew his orderly nature would be offended at the chaos.

After helping Reese assist Finch into the back of the car, Lionel gave Harold's shoulder a gentle squeeze before heading off on his own errand. It would be difficult to prosecute Root for the kidnapping, or to have her charged with any crime without dangerously exposing themselves. So Reese had pulled Lionel aside and had given him instructions to take her on a trip south, where she could be lost and forgotten without access to the high tech that was her most deadly weapon. Despite his recent switch to the side of the angels, Reese knew he could count on Fusco to be sufficiently ruthless to ensure that the lady was never a threat to them again if it came to that.

Reese started the car and drove off slowly, checking the mirror from time to time to reassure himself that the man who had thrown him a lifeline and had served as his new connection to the world was truly back with him. Following a discrete side trip where Dr Tillman reassured Reese that none of Harold's injuries were serious or life threatening, they finally arrived at the safe house Reese had prepared. By that time Finch was so worn out Reese had to practically carry him in, gently changing him into the Pjs from the bag of Harold's belongings Reese had kept ready all this time and then tucking him safely into bed. John suspected that Harold would have been out like a light even without the prescription Dr. Tillman had given John for him. While mentally taking stock of what was available and what he would need to ask Carter to bring the next day, he left a quick voicemail for Zoe thanking her for her assistance and letting her know Finch had been rescued. John then settled into the stuffed chair facing the bed to keep vigil and let the fact of Harold's return seep in, giving him the first sense of peace he had had in a long time. Struck by a sudden thought, he fished out his phone and took a picture of the sleeping Finch, a barely discernable lump in the dimly lit room. Shortly thereafter he received a brief text message, mostly indecipherable except for a few brief symbols : )

With a slight smile Reese turned off his phone and muttered "Daddy's home."


End file.
